A sun-splashed Fore Street was thronged with crowds celebrating Buckfastleigh's Lamb Pie day last weekend.

The event originated to celebrate farm-workers receiving the bounty of that season's lambs' tails.

Nowadays Buckfastleigh marks the day rather differently, with everything from welly-throwing to test your strength machines, rides on miniature ponies and of course a chance to take the prize for the tastiest lamb pie.

This year's winner was baked by retired chef Karl Williams, from Oaklands Park. Town councillor Graham Squires and his partner Jane had the enjoyable task of picking a winner from 12 entries in a blind tasting.

Cash prizes totalling £600 were up for grabs in the town draw. Lucky winner of the first prize of £300 went to Mary Wright.

Buckfastleigh farmer Tissa Haley had three of her white-faced Dartmoor sheep in a shaded straw-filled pen. The association which champions this hardy moorland breed is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

The winner of her guess the lamb's birth date competition was Angela Collings, who won a sheepskin donated by Devonia Ltd.

Local band JCB and the Diggers provided live entertainment during the afternoon. Lonely Grill, supported by solo artist Paul Robinson, took to the stage after dark.

Organiser Peter Collings, chairman of the Buckfastleigh Chamber of Trade, said he was delighted at how the day went.

A record 25 local clubs and societies took part and there had been plenty of positive feedback from stallholders and businesses, he said.

'It was the most successful event we've had from an organisational point of view.'

Last year's event was marred by a late-night violence. This year the day was rescheduled so as not to clash with events elsewhere, enabling police to provide a better presence.

'We insisted that the pubs closed at 11pm and we stopped the music half-an-hour earlier this year and we reopened the road at 12.02pm. The provisions we put in to make the event run smoothly worked really well,' Mr Collings said.